panfisher

Not about the subject fish and everyone's various feelings and thoughts about it. Hey devoknevo! I remember that record sheepie deal. We surmised about starting a Sheepshead Club or something of that nature. About 2014 or so, correct? But I thought it was YOU that caught it. Your son? I'll have to archive search those postings.

BTW Big fat pike, Hoeoye has chain pickerel and a few northerns. I like fishing from shore at Canadice as the trout (lakers and rainbows) are close to shore in late winter to spring. Then the smallies take their place as waters warm and then the warmer water fish take their place. All are suckers for spinners and spoons, and I like regular floating black/silver rapalas as they will not get hung up on deeper moving baits, from shore. But I have yet to catch a pickerel there.

I believe there are pickerel in every one of the Finger lakes, and in Silver too. In Seneca, there are all three Esox family members. As well as northern-chain pickerel cross breeds. Most people catch them incidentally while targeting bass as they (smallies and largemouths) are both suckers for the same baits. Best pickerel I've caught was a beautiful 32" 4lber at the south end of Canandaigua while picking up largemouths. After catching bass under and around the docks with 6" black and natural colored plastic worms, we moved out towards the middle of the lake in front of the state launch. Still using a natural 6" worm, but with a 1/4 ounce jig head to get to the bottom in around 15fow before you get to the drop off into 100+fow, and in the weeds. We were still picking up bass until a big one slurped up the worm working it on the bottom. That was the big pickerel which fought for what seemed 10 minutes and drew the attention from other not far away anglers as my excitement was noticed. Esox family members will move into deeper water as they get bigger. But it is tough to "target" them unless you just like "throwing the bass back" in hopes of getting that sizable pickerel, as both like and inhabit the same waters. I saw the biggest pickerel in my life as a 10 or-so year old down on Long Island, a place called Hempstead Lake in Nassau county. This lake was known for it's big largemouths, yellow perch, and beauteous chain pickerel. This fish might have been a world or state record as it looked to me like pics of big pike or musky I'd seen in the magazines. The fish was held (while walking) by the captor and was half his size and he was about 14 or 15 years old. But you can't beat mid-depth (8-20 fow) weed beds going towards deeper waters, if available. There, like other esocidae, the water is cooler and the weeds are what they enjoy for ambushing. And being friends and competing with bass and such...

Nice mix of 'seeds, gills, rockies and the one perch in that last pic. I have repeatedly espoused flyrodding for panfish down through the seasons, particularly sunnies on topwater offerings. It was a baby pumpkinseed that was so small it had not even been able to be hooked; the tiny bit of worm had lodged in it's mouth and I just popped it out of it's mouth. I was about 9 years old and had caught bigger and more fish before. But that beautifully colored little 'seed in the middle of the palm of my 9 year-old hand was like falling in love. From that moment on I have been in love with fishing and all of that is connected to it. Catching, cooking and eating, being on or close to or even in the water, environmental awareness, at the water with others, concern with just about everything including science. All because of a baby panfish....But I digress. Nice job as usual Kevin !!

Can you observers find out from DEC whether or not these captured dead fish are taken home for meals or something (fertilizer, cat food, donated...)? Or are they just completely wasted after data is taken? Of course if they are spoiled at all, no (except fertilizer). What do they do with them?

Just to split hairs...…. That carp with a few scales towards the tail is called a leather carp. Mirror carp have absolutely no scales. Like a bullhead. We used to catch all three (mirrors, leathers and common) plus big, all orange and all blue, goldfish carp when I was a kid. Heck, there were probably grass carp there too...never caught one though. On Long Island in Rockville Center....Smith Pond. Nice deal catching them on flies!

Got it.....cleaning the fish will tell. When we were kids on Long Island we'd catch spawning perch and when you gave them a mild squeeze the gametes would squirt out in a long stream with the male stuff flying out at least 9-10 feet! like a squirt gun filled with heavy cream! The fish were headed for the fryer so we'd have a little fun right after we caught them.

As usual my man....excellent! But how do you know they're post-spawn females? Both sexes are plump beforehand.

Really good threads at this posting. Good day of fishing report with pics AND plenty of free safety and awareness education for ALL!

They will be fine and delicious....enjoy!

Take it from me. Having spent much of my younger adult life working in many different aspects of the food business, and having been catching, cleaning and cooking perch and other fish since childhood....they will be fine for eating. Enjoy!

A quick check shows this birth defect is not that crazy unheard of with fish. See the you tube vid of the fish with two mouths and 4 eyes....only 6 seconds long but really neat!

Nice to see pics of plenty of healthy and lamprey-free fish. Nice job!!

Excellent evidence of what is going on with the smallmouth numbers. I myself believe (without any other hard evidence) this s the main issue. The bass are still here but the numbers are not. I know cormorants eat a lot of fish, but they are native and so are bass. And unguarded fry and eggs are easy pickings for gobies. And killing of helpless young is one of the easiest ways to cut back any life populations....unless said populations have a culture of guarding their youth as sunfish family members do. I vote for moving out the opening for black bass (largemouths too) for a few more weeks into summer to give those male guardians the time to do their thing without the added hassle of "parenting" for nothing. And no catch and release (obviously ). Thanks for the vid Kevin

Absolutely fantastic story guys! Could not come up with a nicer deal. That musky might think otherwise , unless you released it.....Thank you for sharing the beauty of it all!

I'll bet when it first hit and for a few seconds afterwards you thought you were into a musky...until......did it jump?

Not a musky chaser....but I could be!. I know for a fact that are, or have been, some huge muskies in Waneta, Lamoka and the Mill Pond.

That big guy looks like 45lbs. or so!